citizen

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See also: Citizen

English

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Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English citeseyn, citezein, borrowed from Anglo-Norman citesain (“burgher; city-dweller”), citezein &c., probably a variant of cithein under influence of deinzein (“denizen”), from Anglo-Norman and Old French citeain &c. and citaien, citeien &c. ("burgher"; modern French citoyen), from cité ("settlement; cathedral city, city"; modern French cité) + -ain or -ien (“-an, -ian”). See city and hewe.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈsɪtɪzən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈsɪtɪzən/, /ˈsɪtɪsən/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

citizen (plural citizens)

  1. A resident of a city or town, especially one with legally-recognized rights or duties. [from 14th c.]
    • (Can we date this quote by George Eliot and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      That large body of the working men who were not counted as citizens and had not so much as a vote to serve as an anodyne to their stomachs.
    Synonyms: burgess, burgher, freeman
    Hyponyms: citess, (female) citizeness
  2. A legally-recognized member of a state, with associated rights and obligations; a person considered in terms of this role. [from 14th c.]
    • 1990, House of Cards, Season 1, Episode 4:
      Assistant: You'll meet with the managing director and Dr Sinita Brahmachari, the engineer who designed the chair.
      Peter Mackenzie: Indian, is he?
      Assistant: She is a British citizen, Minister. Born in Coventry.
    • 2012 January, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist‎[1], volume 100, number 1, page 74:
      Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.
    I am a Roman citizen.
    Synonyms: countryman, national
    Antonyms: alien, illegal alien, foreigner, (colloquial) illegal
    Hyponyms: first-class citizen, second-class citizen, third-class citizen, native, naturalized citizen, senior citizen
  3. An inhabitant or occupant: a member of any place. [from 14th c.]
    Diogenes reckoned himself a citizen of the world.
    • 1979 October, Boys' Life, p. 33:
      A jellyfish... carries poison cells that can sting other citizens of the sea.
    Synonyms: denizen, local, inhabitant, native, occupant, resident
    Antonyms: alien, outsider, stranger
  4. (Christianity) A resident of the heavenly city or (later) of the kingdom of God: a Christian; a good Christian. [from 15th c.]
  5. A civilian, as opposed to a police officer, soldier, or member of some other specialized (usually state) group. [from 16th c.]
  6. (obsolete) An ordinary person, as opposed to nobles and landed gentry on one side and peasants, craftsmen, and laborers on the other. [17th–19th c.]
    • 1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, III.v.6:
      [W]ould Mr. Delvile, who hardly ever spoke but to the high-born, without seeming to think his dignity somewhat injured, deign to receive for a daughter in law the child of a citizen and tradesman?
  7. (now historical, usually capitalized) A term of address among French citizens during the French Revolution or towards its supporters elsewhere; (later, dated) a term of address among socialists and communists. [from 18th c.]
    Synonym: (term of address among communists) comrade
  8. (computing) An object.
    Hyponyms: first-class citizen, second-class citizen, third-class citizen

Antonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

  • Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "citizen, n. and adj." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2014.

Anagrams

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